Ant-Man star Paul Rudd details which surprising Marvel Cinematic Universe film inspired the entirety of Quantumania and its tonal shift.
Paul Rudd reveals which Marvel Cinematic Universe movie inspired the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Coming on the heels of Phase 4, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will open up Phase 5 as it brings Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) into the center stage as the MCU’s next big villain after Thanos’ defeat in Avengers: Endgame. Ant-Man, the Wasp, and the rest of the Ant-Man team will be coming face-to-face with the deadly villain after they are all trapped in the Quantum Realm after an unfortunate accident.
While previous Ant-Man movies have been lighthearted affairs with heavy helpings of humor and absurd situations, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is going to be something else entirely. With the trailer showing the heroes desperate to keep Kang caged, the movie is beginning to look less like a typical Ant-Man movie and more like a high-stakes Avengers blockbuster. In an interview with Empire Magazine, Rudd explained that they were inspired by Thor: Ragnarok’s radical tone shift when making Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which convinced them to try the new and unprecedented Ant-Man tone. Check out his quote below via CBR:
“But we kept talking during the process. I kept thinking about Thor: Ragnarok, where it was like, ‘Whoa, we can’t believe this is the third one, it seems so different.’ There was something appealing about doing something unexpected.”
How The MCU’s Kang The Conqueror Compares To Hela
Kang the Conqueror is setting himself up to be a multiversal threat, which is why it is so worrying that a hero like Ant-Man, who is far from a heavy hitter, is being forced to face him. Yet, much like Thor: Ragnarok‘s Hela has a personal connection with Thor and Loki, Kang is connected to members of the Ant-Man team. Janet van Dyne has a history with Kang that ties back to Janet’s time as a denizen in the Quantum Realm. As Kang has been trapped in the Quantum Realm for some time, he may have already met Scott Lang, though Ant-Man doesn’t seem to recall their connection.
In terms of how dangerous they are, Kang and Hela share a threat level, as both Thor and Ant-Man admit that they are unable to beat their foes one-on-one — or even with a team. While Thor and Loki need to outright destroy Asgard to defeat Hela, as the goddess can’t lose, Ant-Man will also need to take drastic steps to ensure that Kang doesn’t escape the Quantum Realm — a major Kang plot point that the trailer spoiled. With Ant-Man promising to lose just so that Kang can’t win, the ties to Thor: Ragnarok is evident even in the trailer alone.
Everything We Know About Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania
With Cassie jumping into the Quantum Realm alongside the rest of the Ant-Man team, the next generation of superheroes will be gaining another member. The story sees Ant-Man coming to terms with his daughter’s involvement in the fight, giving them both the opportunity for serious growth and a chance to bond. After years of working together, the rest of the team will also have the opportunity to interact differently with Hope also experiencing major evolution since Ant-Man, according to actor Evangeline Lilly. Yet the biggest draw of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be the ever-imposing threat of Kang the Conqueror and his army of invading minions when the upcoming MCU movie releases on February 17.
Source: Empire Magazine (via CBR)
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